Health Officials Meet To Discuss Wash. Birth Defect

At a meeting in Kennewick, the health department asked people to raise concerns about a rare birth defect. Since 2010, there have been 32 cases of anencephaly in Central Washington. Officials are working out their next steps.

Courtney Flatt

Originally published on June 16, 2014 5:14 pm

A rare birth defect is affecting more babies in Central Washington. After hosting a series of public hearings, regulators and health officials met Monday to talk about theirir next steps.

Since 2010, anencephaly, a rare and fatal birth defect, has shown up in Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties at about 4 times the national average.

When babies are born are born with anencephaly their brains and skulls don’t form completely.

So far state health officials have discounted several possible causes including: pesticide exposure, nitrates in water wells, and radiation from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

RadioActive’s Leija Farr grew up celebrating Kwanzaa, the year-end celebration that started in 1966 as a way for African Americans to connect with their African heritage. The Swahili language is at the heart of the celebration. As Leija discovered, that language connects her with new immigrants from parts of Africa. Like Leija’s community, native speakers are grappling with how to keep the language going. Here’s Leija’s story, in her own words.

Marcie Sillman talks with Professor Brad Harrington, executive director of the Boston College Center for Work and Family, about the importance of paternity leave for working fathers and their families.